Tips For Buying A New Car (And Also Our New Car Prep Package)

Are You Considering Buying A New Car?

Last week, we talked about how to inspect the paint on a new car before the purchase is made (read it HERE). In continuing our conversation about new cars, we wanted to take a moment and introduce you to the Capitol Shine New Car Prep Package.Why are we talking about new cars? Typically, next year's models start arriving to dealerships around August, and many consumers take advantage of the discounts these dealerships offer to current models still on the lot. There’s nothing quite like owning a new or slightly used vehicle – the exclusive new car smell, the low odometer numbers, the sense of pride and let’s face it, maybe making friends and co-workers a little jealous (there's no shame in that!).Buying a new car is a big deal. As Forbes mentions, it's one of the five expenses that will consume 50% of your lifetime earnings. The other four being your home, children, education and retirement. When buying a new car, Forbes also mentions that "...most people can comfortably afford a car that is 1/3rd of their annual income. If you make $60,000 you can comfortably afford a car that costs $20,000." It's important to remember there are more expenses to owning a car beyond the price tag. Insurance, gas, maintenance, parking (especially in the DC metro area!) and detailing the car to keep it nice all need to be factored in when making a purchase. Forbes recommends that "your total transportation costs should be 10% or less of your gross income."

When Is The Best Time To Buy A New Car?

According to Edmunds, there are several "best times" to buy a car, including:

• End of the model year
• End of the calendar year
• End of the month
• Monday or early in the week
• Holidays such as
  • Memorial Day
  • Fourth of July
  • Labor Day
  • Black Friday
  • Presidents Day

Edmunds states that January-April are the least discounted months, May-September are better discounted months and October-December are the "most discounted months." We encourage you to read the full articles on Edmunds.com HERE.

What Is Capitol Shine's New Car Prep Package?

The fact is that just because a car comes new off the lot, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily perfect. Many times, whenever products are sold in bulk, a decrease in quality control may take place. In the United States alone, over 1.5 million new vehicles were sold in the month of May 2019 (according to MarkLines). Dealerships need to keep every vehicle looking shiny and fresh, and every time it snows or rains, dirt and water spots stay on all of those cars outside. At Capitol Shine, we’ve often preached about the dangers of automatic car washes – how they have the tendency to leave swirls and scratch marks. We’ve also mentioned to our customers how using a dirty rag, or a using the same rag on more than one vehicle, can retain dirt that can scratch paint.

It’s important to note that not all dealerships use automatic car washes or practices unsafe to a vehicle’s paint, but many times that is the case – keeping all vehicles on the lot clean sometimes means a rush on the washes, which can result in some scratches and marring:The good news is that one of the services provided by Capitol Shine is paint correction – a process where we remove scratches and swirl marks. The majority of the time, the scratches are in the top layer (clear coat), which means they can be removed without the use of touch-up paint. Your car has four basic layers: sheet metal (body), a primer coat, paint and then one or more layers of clear coat. With some buffing and detailing techniques, a clear coat can be restored. Want more details? Read our previous blog here on the subject.

Our New Car Prep Package

Capitol Shine’s New Car Prep Package is designed to make your car, truck, van or SUV look like new. We have the experience, tools and knowledge on how to fix current imperfections, as well as how to prevent and protect against future problems in your vehicle’s paint and wheels. If you’ve recently purchased a new car, but the paint seems to be scratched (or if your older vehicle has scratches), stop on by our location and let us take a look at it. In just about 30 minutes, we can give you an estimate on what is needed to get your vehicle looking the way it was meant to. Whether you choose Ceramic Pro, Opti-Coat Pro or Paint Protection Film, this package is customized to your vehicle (and your budget!) and includes:

• Polishing vehicle to remove any wash marks from dealership or automatic car washes

• Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) solution applied to remove any polishing oils

• Vehicle (body, glass, wheels) protected with a Ceramic Coating or Paint Protection Film

To book your New Car Prep Package or to receive your FREE estimate in just 30 minutes, please head over to our scheduling page HERE. Please schedule at least 24 hours in advance to ensure time and date.Need other detailing options like a hand wash, vacuum, headlight restoration, interior shampoo or more? Please schedule your appointment at capitolshine.com/schedule-your-shine.Sources:Five Expenses That Will Consume 50% Of Your Lifetime Earnings. (Retrieved 2019). Forbes. Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2010/08/02/lifetime-earnings-home-car-children-education-retirement/#7ef36423507dThe Best Time To Buy A Car. (Retrieved 2019). Edmunds. Source: https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/when-to-buy-your-next-car.html USA - Flash report, Sales volume, 2019. (Retrieved 2019). MarkLines. Source: https://www.marklines.com/en/statistics/flash_sales/salesfig_usa_2019